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Ymgaré Clans
Write the first paragraph of your page here. Structure Write the first section of your page here. Culture The Ymgaré are a race of amphibious giants that originate on Conaran, living mostly along the southern and eastern shores of that island. The Ymgaré live mostly in extended family units - their term "Luyemm" is variously translated as "family" "clan" or "Tribe." The Ymgaré can live entirely on land if needed, but greatly prefer to live at least near the ocean, though they tend to keep to the shallower areas. The Ymgaré find extensive activity on land tiring - thankfully their large size lets them cover distances and accomplish tasks rather quickly. The Ymgaré have a simplistic if still impressive architecture, building large tower like structures that rise from the sea-bed. Often these structure have the entrance located underwater, or have an underwater entrance and a fortified upper entrance - though there is little purpose to this now, it was originally designed as an effective defense mechanism. The Ymgaré have a particular religious cultural structure that most closely resembles other cultures with Manerans mythologies. The Ymgaré believe that they began in the First Sea, an area that they refer to as a "Black Abyss" and which plays the part of a Hell in their mythology. However, the Ymgaré were able to reach the Second Sea, which is what they refer to the actual oceans as. And yet, though here was safe, there was still dangers from the First Sea. However, the "Luyemm Hmlai" (The Heavenly Family) ascended the Ymgaré and allowed them to live between the Second Sea and the Third Sea (Third Sea being the Ymgaré term for Air or Sky). The Ymgaré believe that after death, their spirits either ascended to the mythical Fourth Sea ( Hmlai Nal), or the Heavenly Sea (Alternatively called the "Sea of Stars), or, if weighted with evil, sink back to the First Sea. Ymgaré myth also refers sometimes to a "Fifth Sea" - or the "Lightest Sea" (Tho Nal), although references to this are vague at best. Ymgarian society is matriarchical, with their both being an apparent birth bias towards females and females usually taking the most important roles in society. This can stem back to the myth of the "Ascent from the Abyss" - the two Ymgaré who made this journey were the Father (Ma) and the Mother (Aum). Father did not finish the ascent, being worried about the wrath of the "Black Goddess" and returning to her side. Mother, however, was already pregnant with children - though she mourned the loss of Father, her race continued. The Ymgaré have a perhaps unfair reputation from outsiders of cannibalism. This is, however, a rather gross generalization. Consumption of other Ymgaré only happens as a funerary rite, and only to deceased females. The Ymgaré hold little importance for dead bodies - they believe the dead have taken a "Lighter Form" to ascend to the Fourth Sea. In fact, destruction of corpses is prefereable - else the spirit may become confused and linger. Deceased females are thus consumed by the other females in the community. Bodies of dead males are treated differently (due to the Myth of the Ascent from the Abyss, related above). Consuming the flesh of males is strictly taboo - it is said those who do so will go insane and swim down into the Abyss to join the fallen Father. (Scientific studies on the topic are, naturally rare, though it is suggested that Ymgarian males do excrete some sort of muscle toxin, particularly on death, that may have negative mental effects). To protect the spirits of males, first the body is hidden away in a special tomb for a night and a day, the family not acknowledging the death. Then the body is covered and weighted down with stones bearing curses directed at the Black Goddess. The body is then sent to sink to the bottom of the ocean - the Black Goddess, seeking the souls of others like the Father, will snatch it up, only to find an empty body and mocking curses, while the spirit of the male already soars in the Fourth Sea. Category:Nations